A major issue facing golf course operators is pace of play. As the number of golfers on course increases, so does the time taken to complete a round of golf. While numerous groups of golfers can play on the same course simultaneously, a safe distance must be maintained between each group to prevent the group in front from being struck by a ball hit by the following group.
If a group of golfers plays at a pace that is slower than the course average, they will inadvertently force every following group to play at their reduced pace. This results in congestion on course and a less than optimum utilization of golf courses by the greatest number of golfers. By maintaining a minimum pace of play, golf course operators can accommodate more golfers on course at any given time and correspondingly generate higher revenues.
Slow pace of play is regarded by many golfers as one of the most frustrating aspects of the game. Accordingly, if the pace of play could be improved, both golfers and golf course operators would benefit. The game would be more enjoyable for golfers and more profitable for the golf clubs. Consequently, monitoring pace of play to keep golfers moving at a pace that will enable them to meet course specific target times for completion of their rounds is a priority for many golf course operators.
Various measures have been adopted to improve pace of play. These include employing course marshals to identify slow players and approach them with a view to encouraging them to increase their pace of play. Course marshalling is resource intensive and inefficient and may be regarded by golf course marshalls and players alike as being confrontational which imparts a negative vibe on course. Other steps such as encouraging golfers to use golf carts have been found to have a minimal effect on increasing pace of play.
Another considerable issue is course access by non authorised, typically non-paying golfers. That is, not all golf courses are protected by a boundary fence, for example, a golf course integrated within a residential estate, and therefore it can be difficult to prevent access to the golf course by non-authorised golfers.
Paying players will generally be golf club members or visitors. The fee structure and access rights applied to these two categories of paying players will vary. For example, members typically have broad access rights to the golf course and club facilities, whilst visitor's access rights are generally restricted, e.g. a visitor must be accompanied by a member. Some golf clubs offer different level of membership, for example a full fee paying member might have unrestricted access rights, whereas a non-playing member might pay a reduced membership fee to have access to club facilities such as the clubhouse and golf shop, but be required to pay an additional green fee to play an occasional round of golf.
It is virtually impossible to distinguish between paying and non-paying golfers on course without directly asking each golfer whether they have paid their green fees. Accordingly, there is a need for means to discretely identify golfers who have not paid their green fees.